Thanks! They really got into helping me write this one. Maybe because it was our previous read aloud?? Of course, the jury is still out on whether or not they can transfer it to their own writing. 🙂 But I think I forget sometimes that they shouldn’t have to master it after ONE TIME. 🙂

First I ask my students if they know what theme is. Of course they come up with some strange responses. Then I show them this youtube videohttp://youtu.be/p4qME64SkxM and make sure they take notes. Then we discuss, discuss, discuss. I give them lots and lots of examples and then I give them scenarios and they have to decide if it is a them or note based on the criteria they gathered from the video. This has really helped my students to distinguish between a theme and just a central idea. I can’t say enough good things about this video. This gets the students away from thinking of a subject as a theme.

I’m headed to watch the video now. Most of my 6th graders understand now what theme means, but I now want them to be able to identify them in the books they read and write about them. 🙂 AND I want them to stretch their thinking and writing. Most just want to say my theme is courage and give one example from the text. Of course, that’s MORE than they used to be able to do!!